A Grief Observed
by Geeky BMWW Fan
Summary: My take on how Diana and the rest of the Justice League react to the aftermath of the events in Paradise Lost Parts I and II.
1. The Problem of Pain

I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money off of this story.

Before you read...

A special thanks to Kipling-Nori, my wonderful beta. Thank you for your corrections and thoughts.

This story takes place after the events in Paradise Lost I and II. I know Diana is very strong, but I assumed there must have been some emotional fall-out from losing her home and family in one day. This is how I pictured that collapse, and the beginning of her emotional restoration.

The title of both this fiction and the first chapter come from books authored by C. S. Lewis.

In Greek mythology, Atlas is the son of a Titan who sided with the Titans against the Olympians. When the Titans lost, he was forced to hold the sky on his shoulders.

I like Jane Austen, so I mentioned some of her works below. I refer to a scene from _Pride and Prejudice_ where the hero, Mr. Darcy, insults the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, though he is unaware that she is listening.

I also mentioned _Bringing Up Baby_, even though I don't like it. It's a hare-brained caper where two people lose a large feline named Baby and a ton of hijinks ensue while they try to find it. That movie stresses me out.

As always, I appreciate your reviews. Please keep them coming. Thanks!

* * *

**A Grief Observed**

Part I:

The Problem of Pain

* * *

I am worn out from groaning;  
all night long I flood my bed with weeping  
and drench my couch with tears.

-Psalm 6:6

* * *

Diana sat quietly as she waited for the others to fasten themselves in the chairs of the Javelin. She felt uneasy knowing that they were all watching her, waiting for her to break down. Raising her chin defiantly, she resolved to never let them see her cry. She was an Amazon, after all. 

Or was she? Could she honestly consider herself an Amazon when she had just been exiled for breaking the most sacred of their laws? Her people, her queen—her own mother—had disowned her, banishing her from the only home she had ever known. She had no right to identify herself with them, and that thought weighed down heavily on her heart.

When she exited the plane, she marched straight to her quarters. In the privacy of her room, the tears which she had been so valiantly fighting while in the others' presence fell unchecked.

Diana braced her hands on her altar, leaning on it as if she were Atlas. "Hera," she sobbed brokenly, "Why?"

She had tried her hardest. Had done everything in her power to aid the Amazons; only brought the men as a last resort. She didn't doubt that the gods understood all this, nor did she doubt their love and favor, but she didn't understand it at all. And that was the worst part. If she just knew why this was happening, she could bear it.

Still, she refused to be angry with her gods. Just because she didn't see the reason for her suffering, didn't mean one didn't exist. And if she was to ever be restored to her people, she knew it would be through their mercy. She would never reject them, and they would never forsake her.

But the Amazons had.

Well, she would banish them too! Diana quickly removed all traces of her ancient home, pausing only to wipe her eyes when it became too difficult to see. As she forced herself not to think about each object as she efficiently laid them to rest in the chest, she couldn't dismiss the feeling that she was attending her own funeral.

Each of her belongings had special value to her—they were on display for a reason; they reflected their owner. Each item was inextricably linked to some person, place, or event that shaped who she was. And while she refused to dwell on the reason why each memento was cherished, that didn't stop the images from rising unbidden in her heart.

Diana locked the chest and put it at the back of her closet. She had considered burning the contents, but panicked at the thought. Even though she wouldn't acknowledge it, there was a tiny part of her that still remained hopeful.

She heard a knock on the door. "Not now," she barked.

Whoever it was left without saying anything. _Good._ She was in no state to receive visitors.

Exhausted, she lay down on her bed, and tried to process everything, again. She knew she was being irrational; she loved her sisters and her mother. But the box remained in the closet. Staring at her possessions would only remind her of what she had lost. Out of sight, out of mind._ Hopefully._

Diana tried to console herself with what was still hers. She had a place in Patriarch's World, her home away from home. And she considered the Justice League her second family. But knowing that she should be comforted by this and actually feeling that comfort were two very different things.

Diana had never experienced pain like this before. Coming from an island of immortal warriors, and having been born relatively late in their history, death wasn't something she ever gave a second thought to. Now that it stared her in the face, she didn't know what to do. True, she was still alive, but, she certainly didn't feel it. They had pronounced her dead the second they had banished her. After all, she thought, isn't death just perpetual estrangement?

Eventually she grew too tired to think. Rolling over, she waited for sleep to come and her tears to stop.

* * *

The next morning Diana woke and walked over to her vanity. Never in all her life had her eyes been so red. She looked awful, and her eyes burned. Filling the sink, she began to splash cold water on her face. 

She went to go take a shower, and though she resolved not to do it, she began to cry the second the water hit her back.

After getting dressed, Diana made her way to the conference room for the scheduled meeting. She found Shayera and John talking with each other, and as soon as they saw her, they grew silent.

Shayera was the first to speak.

"Diana, you look terrible."

"Shayera!" John whispered harshly and gave her a less than gentle nudge.

"We are so sorry about what happened," he said as he made his way over to Diana. He was about to place an arm on her shoulder, when Diana sidestepped him. "Please, don't touch me!" she said a little bit more shrilly than she would have liked before taking a deep breath and sitting down.

She saw the looks of concern on their faces. "I'm fine. Really."

As the rest of the Justice League filed in and took their seats, Diana looked resolutely ahead, making eye contact with no one. Even though she counted herself lucky to have such wonderful friends, Diana knew that if she saw the sympathy and love in their eyes, she would start crying. And as far as Diana was concerned, she had shed enough tears to last her a lifetime.

They all sensed that she didn't want to talk about it, so the meeting proceeded as usual. When it came time to recap the prior mission, Diana forced herself to smile, knowing that her teammates would be scrutinizing her every expression--facial or otherwise. As soon as the meeting was closed, she left as quickly as possible, heading straight toward the training room.

A few hours later, she made it back to her quarters. She showered again, and sat down on her bed, facing the wall that used to have a beautiful painting of the goddess Artemis hunting a white stag--her favorite-- hanging on it. Gathering whatever strength she could find in the little time she had left, she waited for the inevitable.

About fifteen minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. As she stood, she cheerily called out, "Come in."

Superman walked through the door. He made his way over to give Diana a hug, but she held up her arms to stop him, though she hoped it looked like she was guiding him to a chair. "Superman, please sit down."

She sat back down on her bed.

"I brought you something—some books."

"Thank you."

He offered his condolences, and then he began to tell her about himself and his origins. Some of it she already knew. Some of it she didn't. But all of it was told to her in the hope that she would be comforted. Diana nodded politely as she took it all in, but she was too emotionally spent to do much of anything but listen.

"Diana, please know that we all care for you, and would do anything to make you happy. You just need to ask. Ok?"

"Thank you, Kal. For your words and for the books."

"I'm serious. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He smiled kindly at her before walking out of the room.

She stood up, walked over to where he had been sitting, and picked up the books. Jane Austen's _Northanger Abbey _and _Pride and Prejudice_. She had heard of the author, and figured now was as good a time as any to acquaint herself with the writers of Patriarch's World.

Laying back down on her bed, Diana opened _Northanger Abbey. _As she read, she smiled at some of the passages. The heroine's child-like sincerity reminded her of the Flash, and the hero's wit and charm entertained her. More than once she wondered why Superman would have such a book.

After a few hours of reading, she glanced at her clock. It was dinnertime, but she didn't feel very hungry. Rolling out of bed, she trudged to the cafeteria.

It was a quick meal. No one was in the kitchen, and she found that nothing tasted particularly good. She downed her food, poured herself a glass of milk, and returned to her bedroom and her book.

When her bedtime approached, she began to make her nightly preparations. After brushing her teeth, she walked over to her altar. She kneeled, said her nightly prayers, then turned off the light. Feeling exhausted, she tried to fall asleep, but her thoughts drifted back to her heartbreak, and she started to cry again, muffling her face in her pillow.

* * *

The next three days passed in nearly the same manner as the last. 

Wake up. Wash face. Shower. Cry. Meeting (if there was one). Train. Shower. Receive guest. Read. Eat. Read some more. Pray. Lie down. Cry. Sleep.

Occasionally, there was some uprising or natural disaster that interrupted the routine.

Along with her missions, Diana was thankful for the friendly visits, if only to break up the monotony. She tried to make a little game out of it. Who would visit her next? She actually guessed the order correctly, but was slightly disappointed each time she opened the door and found that Batman wasn't standing there. She reasoned that he would be the last to see her, but that didn't stop her from hoping he would be the first. She didn't care enough to ask herself why.

After Superman, Flash came. The next day it was J'onn, and the day after that Shayera and John. She'd predicted that, too.

All of them came bearing gifts and personal stories.

Flash had brought her iced mochas and some old black and white movie _Bringing Up Baby_. She didn't know much about the movie, but the funny anecdotes he shared with her before he left made her smile. As he was beginning to leave, she sensed that he wanted to say more, so she preempted him. "Thanks Flash. Your visit has really brightened my day. I'm going to watch the movie right now.' He left smiling.

J'onn, like Superman, told Diana about his past, and his ordeal nearly made her eyes well up. She didn't worry that he would extend a kind hand on her shoulder or that he would find her rude for avoiding any emotional or physical contact. Though he was a telepath, Diana knew he would not read her mind, especially at this time. J'onn was an empathetic individual who didn't need to able to read minds to understand that Diana needed her space. With a caring glance, he left her to ponder why the whole world was so full of sadness as she unenthusiastically chewed on an Oreo.

John and Shayera brought her the most interesting gifts of all: a blues record and a beer. Listening to John and Shayera tell their stories was like listening to the characters in _Bringing Up Baby_, except they talked much more slowly, and were funnier--like a comedic duo. They left her amused, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember anything they had said the minute they left her room. She supposed it was more their presence and bickering than the actual content of their stories. She was glad for the visit. It solidified her hope that things would return to normal. Eventually.

* * *

The sixth night, she waited for Batman to come. She tried to read her book to pass the time, but was finding it more difficult to enjoy _Pride and Prejudice _than the other book. Like Elizabeth, she was finding Mr. Darcy slightly odious. "Not handsome enough to tempt me." If she were Elizabeth, she would have punched him on his arrogant nose. 

Unable to keep reading, Diana thought about the rest of her teammates again. They had all been so kind to her, but she still didn't feel like opening up to them. She knew Superman and J'onn were just trying to help her, but she just felt sadder after their visits. She still wasn't able to wrap her mind around why there was so much pain in the world. And for some one with the wisdom of Athena, some one who was so used to knowing all the questions and answers, this unsettled her greatly. As an Amazon, she was trained to confront the obstacle head on, using anything in her arsenal to defeat it. But she couldn't get past the problem of pain. She always thought in ideals, fought to make things right, but she was beginning to feel that no amount of work on her part could ever fix this disease, and she found that thought overwhelming.

Diana was surprised that she hadn't dealt with this beforehand. Though she didn't stay around to witness the aftermath of the evil plots she foiled, she had been in Man's World long enough to know that there were consequences for every action—good or bad. And with six billion people on this world alone, she couldn't begin to fathom how many heart wrenching tales existed.

Not to mention all the brutality of her own warrior nation. Their slavery to Hercules. Their battle against Hades. All of it she could recite by heart, like any epic poet, and yet, before her exile, she hadn't known the gravity of the words she had been speaking.

Why had it taken her so long to understand?

As Diana cried over her selfishness she told herself she would not speak with her teammates about the whole ordeal. Her friends already knew she was hurting. They didn't need the intimate details of her daily struggle. A true warrior bore the burden alone. The world had enough pain to go around, and most people were struggling with more than she could ever comprehend. No, she would keep it to herself.

As restless as her mind was, it wasn't long before she began to wonder why Batman hadn't come, and why his absence bothered her.

Diana reasoned that it was because, next to Shayera, he was the closest thing she had to an Amazon. And Shayera only edged him out because she was female. Diana figured that he too had a life of misery. It saddened her that so brave a man was probably driven by a tale just as woeful as hers, Superman's, or even J'onn's. _And you don't see him crying, now do you, Diana?_

Naturally, that set the waterworks off again, and this time Diana had no other thoughts to distract her.

In agony she pleaded, "Hera, give my peace."

She rolled onto to her side, closed her eyes, and begged for sleep to come.

* * *

To Be Continued With

**Part II:**

**Mourn with Those who Mourn**


	2. Mourn with Those who Mourn

I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money off of this story.

Before you read...

A special thanks to Kipling-Nori, my wonderful beta. Go read her stories, if you haven't already. They're great!

As always, I appreciate your reviews. Please keep them coming. Thanks!

* * *

**A Grief Observed **

Part II:

Mourn with Those who Mourn

* * *

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

-Psalm 23:4a

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

-Romans 12:15

* * *

Bruce knew he had waited long enough. Forming a resolution, he walked toward her quarters. 

It had been two weeks since their successful mission to Themyscira. Understandably, Diana had not taken well to her exile, and had begun to withdraw from her teammates.

He knew she was very unhappy. She was too honest to hide her pain, but he knew she wouldn't burden the others with it either. He watched as she forced herself to smile when she saw her teammates looking at her. He couldn't help but notice as she tried to sublimate her pain by taking on the cares of the world. He recognized the strain and sorrow that were warring within her.

The day after they returned from that mission, the visiting hours began. Every day she had a new guest. Superman had been the first to see her. Then, Flash followed by J'onn. Hawkgirl and Lantern had decided to pay their respects together. He had yet to speak with her.

Acting on impulse rather than reason, he went to see Diana that first day, but she had needed some time to process all that had happened. He found that as the days passed, it grew harder and harder for him to go see her. It wasn't that Bruce didn't want to help her; he just didn't know how, and he doubted whether he had anything to offer her.

Still, for the sake of his teammate, he decided not to let his perceived inadequacies prevent him from being there for her in any way that she asked.

Unfortunately, his new resolution didn't stop his nerves from rearing their ugly head as he waited for her to answer his knock. And when he noticed how late it was, he made to leave. The sound of the door opening arrested his retreat.

If Diana was surprised to see him, she didn't show it.

She ushered him in, welcoming him with, "I figured you would visit me. After John and Shayera came, you were the only one left."

Those weren't exactly the words he had been hoping to hear.

She offered him a chair, and then sat down on her bed.

Taking a seat, he waited for his courage to return. As he sat, Bruce looked around at her room, noticing that it looked much different from the other time he had been there.

Before it had been decorated with Themysciran artifacts— sturdy weaponry, bold pottery, intricate rugs, and beautiful paintings. Those were now gone.

The only thing that remained of the old room was her altar. There were many candles on top of it, though none of them were lit. He assumed she spent much time there, asking her gods why this had happened.

He wished he knew.

A few more moments had passed in silence before Bruce cleared his throat and gruffly said, "I'm sorry for what happened."

Diana regarded him politely and replied, "Thank you, Batman." Waiting for him to speak, she began to trace the pattern on her bedspread with her finger.

Again he tried. "I want to help you."

She snorted. "How? Are you going to force my mother to go back on her edict?" Seeing him twitch at her petulant response, she sighed. "I'm sorry, Batman. I'm just really tired right now."

"I know." The softness with which he spoke gave her a moment's pause.

"Wonder Woman, I'm not the consoling type. I don't… I really…I just wanted to…" This was going nowhere. Frustrated, he looked straight at her, muttered "I'm sorry" and made his way quickly to the exit.

"Batman, please." Shocked at the desperation she heard in her voice, she modulated her tone. "Please, stay."

After a moment's deliberation, he sat down next to her and waited.

Diana breathed in deeply and looked straight ahead. She refused to make eye contact until she had mastered her emotions. Finally, feeling strong enough, she looked over at him.

The look of grief he saw in her eyes caused his heart to break for her, and he compulsively reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

His act of kindness proved too much for her. Whatever control she possessed over her grieving heart slowly slipped away.

He watched as she furiously wiped at the few tears that had fallen from her eyes. He watched as she tried to still her trembling lips by pressing them firmly together. He watched as she raised her hands to cover her face, in an attempt to stifle the anguished cry that had just escaped.

He couldn't watch anymore. He pulled her into a hug.

She shook uncontrollably, her body wracked with sobs. "I'm so sorry," she cried over and over again.

When she could breathe somewhat normally again, she shifted in his arms, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "All of you have been so good to me, so kind. I feel guilty, because you have been so good to me, but I still feel wretched. I didn't want to make you feel bad or burden you with my grief."

Once she started, she couldn't stop. Thoughts that she had shared with no one were now demanding to be voiced. "I keep telling myself that there are people out there who have suffered so much more than me, but it's not helping. I try not to think about my sisters and mother, but everything reminds me of them. I feel so weary, so tired, but when I try to go to sleep, all I can do is cry."

"I'm trying to be rational, but that's not working either. I keep telling myself that mother had to do this. She's queen. But there's part of me that feels so worthless. I'm her daughter! Why couldn't she love me?"

Batman had no words to offer, so he tightened his grip on her. She had stopped speaking, but had begun to sob again. He knew that her mind was running riot, jumping mercilessly from thought to thought--what could she have done better? would she ever stop hurting? why had her gods allowed this to happen?

At least that was what Bruce assumed was going on, if his own personal journey through the valley of death was any indication. Having traveled it for many years, he felt pretty comfortable with the terrain.

As Bruce held her in his arms, he couldn't help but think of his own sorrow. It was impossible not to. He had passed the point where he would cry about it many years ago, but the pain was still there. He figured it would always be there, but hoped that it would lessen.

And before he knew it, he was faced with his old fears and condemnation. The most vivid memories of his parents were from that night, and of course those memories were intertwined with pain. Bruce knew that he could not have one without the other. And through the years, whenever his grief lessened, his fears increased. In giving up his pain, would he have to lose his parents all over again?

He loved his parents, but hated the pain. Bruce had decided long ago that he would always choose his parents over the pain, and that meant holding on to the past, but sometimes, for the briefest of moments, he would imagine what it would be like to let it all go. But those thoughts were always quickly replaced with feelings of intense remorse and guilt.

And so he forged on. Night after night, he would fight the scourge that had stolen his parents from him, and when he didn't feel like battling anymore, he would force himself to dredge up all of those old horrible memories. But being Gotham's protector and fighting in nearly constant isolation was taking its toll. In a rare moment of self-pity, Bruce wondered who would rescue him.

In his turmoil, his eyes alighted on her altar, and a silent prayer rose from his heart, asking for someone to understand and carry his burden.

He then looked down at the weeping Amazon, and reflexively, held onto her more tightly, only relaxing his grip when she had fallen asleep.

Thoroughly exhausted, Bruce closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he noticed that he was lying down, surrounded by a comforter.

Sitting up, he cursed at himself for falling asleep, and only stopped the mental flagellations when his eyes came to rest on Diana. She was kneeling reverently in front of her altar, and with the candlelight reflecting off her hair, Bruce thought she looked like a saint from an old religious painting. For some reason, he found that amusing. Her lips moved silently for a few more seconds before she bowed her head slightly and stood up.

As he rose and walked over to her, she looked over at him and smiled weakly.

"Batman, I just wanted to say thank you."

"I didn't do that much."

As Diana stood there looking at him, she began to ponder the fantastic nature of all that had occurred. She had no idea why she had opened up to him like that, and she was slightly embarrassed at her display of emotion. She had never considered herself a crier, but these past two weeks had been nothing but tears. And if she wasn't crying, she was trying not to cry. She had never planned on breaking down in front of anyone, least of all Batman.

Diana couldn't describe what it was he had done, or how he had done it, but she knew that he had done _something_. She felt the beginnings of the one thing that had eluded her for weeks—peace. She couldn't put all of it into words, but she had to try to communicate her thankfulness.

She reached out a hand to touch his arm, and softly spoke, "You listened to me, and you held me while I cried. You didn't dismiss my pain. That's a lot."

Bruce found that he couldn't look at her.

Seeing his discomfort, Diana felt a surge of compassion sweep over her. She pulled him into a fierce hug, which he stiffly returned.

Still enfolded in her arms, he looked down into her red-rimmed eyes, and found some comfort for himself in the gratitude he saw there and the words she offered him, "Thank you, friend."

He savored the moment for a second longer before saying, "I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry!" Her hands quickly dropped to her sides. She gave him a shy grin, which he tentatively returned.

"Goodnight, Diana."

"Goodnight, Batman."

And with hearts a little lighter, they parted company.

* * *

To Be Continued With

**Part III:**

**Here Comes the Sun**

* * *


	3. Here Comes the Sun

I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money off of this story.

Before you read:

The lines in bold are taken from the 2005 adaption of Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ starring Keira Knightley.

This chapter makes reference to and takes place after Paradise Lost, The Brave and the Bold, and Fury.

The chapter title comes from a Beatles's song.

I have been told (and I agree) that maybe I went into too much detail/was too introspective. I try not to write things that are boring, and I hope this isn't, but it might be too slow for some people. I just couldn't write about her becoming whole again without delving into what is going on in her mind. So, I'm sorry if there isn't enough action.

If you like it, please review. If you don't, please tell me why, so I can improve. I appreciate any and all reviews. Thanks!

Thanks Kipling-Nori for helping me with this story. You're the bomb shizzle. (Pssst. I hear she has some new stuff coming soon. Make sure to bug her about it.)

* * *

**A Grief Observed**

**Chapter III:**

**Here Comes the Sun**

* * *

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

-II Corinthians 13:11

The night is almost gone, and the day is near.

-Romans 13:12a

* * *

"**I have struggled in vain and can bear it no longer. I love you. Most ardently."**

"I can't believe girls actually fall for this stuff. No one even talks like that."

"Flash." Wonder Woman's low voice and narrowed eyes cautioned the movie critic.

Undeterred, the Scarlet Speedster proceeded to make fun of her film selection in a poor imitation of an English accent. "Wilt thou takest my hand in holiest matrimony, my loveliest dainty blossom."

She paused the film. "I watched your movie." Diana inwardly shuddered as she remembered the cheerleaders washing cars in their bikinis. What that had to do with supporting an athletic team was beyond her, but still she had watched. Silently. "Now it's my turn."

"But this is so lame."

"You're the one who gave me the movie in the first place."

"I only did that because you said you liked Jane Austen."

"And now I'm returning the favor. I thought you wanted to make a good impression on women. Trust me, you will get farther watching my movies than-" she lifted up the DVD case and read its title disdainfully "_Bring it On_."

"No woman really wants a guy in ruffles and tights."

Diana looked pointedly at his scarlet spandex unitard.

"What?! It's a uniform. A _superhero_ uniform. Besides, all this guy does is brood or offend people."

Hawkgirl, who had been listening at the door way, decided to make her presence known.

"Some women go for the silent, arrogant type. Right, Diana?"

Choosing not to dignify the question with a response, Diana hit the remote's play button.

"**Your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry." **

Flash snorted and shot Diana a look that said, "I told you so."

Refusing to let him ruin one of her favorite scenes, she ignored him.

Diana tried to hide her smile as the rain soaked characters stared longingly at each other, with their lips mere inches apart. She knew they wouldn't kiss, but every time she watched she hoped they would.

"All that, and he doesn't even kiss her?!"

In a more agitated manner, Diana punched the stop button on the remote, though it was Shayera who fired off the verbal warning. "Look, Flash. You are never going to get a girl if you can't sit through a girlie movie with your mouth shut."

"What's wrong with movies like _Die Hard, Braveheart, Gladiator_, or _Lethal Weapon_?"

Diana decided to try reasoning with him. "Absolutely nothing. But sometimes a woman wants a little romance every now and then."

Shayera looked at Diana approvingly. "See, I told you not to knock it till you've tried it."

Flash chimed in. "Looks like the Princess found her prince."

"I think you mean kni-"

"There is no one." Diana interrupted Hawkgirl, feeling a little flustered, though outwardly she remained calm. "I just happen to like Mr. Darcy."

"What's he got that I don't?"

Diana's and Shayera's heads turned on Flash, and from the looks on their faces, one would have thought that he was talking to them from a second head that was growing out of his stomach. After the initial shock of the question wore off, the girls answered in rapid fire, alternating back and forth with their answers.

"He has an English accent."

"He has manners."

"He doesn't call every woman he meets a chick or a babe."

"He doesn't say the first thing that comes to his mind."

"He's rich."

"-passionate."

"-sexy."

"-intelligent."

"-thoughtful."

"-strong."

Having tried to interrupt them many times, Flash finally got a word in. "Ok, so I'm not _your_ cup of tea. But does he have my sense of humor and charm?"

Shayera and Diana weren't given the chance to answer. Seeing Batman and Green Lantern walking by, Flash waved them over.

"Hey guys, tell these two that I would make a better boyfriend than Mr. Darcy."

Even though John had no idea who Mr. Darcy was, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to put Flash in his place, "I know better than to argue with a woman about her taste in men."

"C'mon Bats. Back me up."

The only back Wally received was the sight of Batman's as he turned and walked out of the room.

"Oh, C'mon!"

Finally admitting defeat, Flash sank onto the couch, his posture mirroring his inner dejection.

Feeling sorry for her friend, Shayera leaned in and gave him a playful peck on the cheek. "It's OK Wally. Just stick with me and Diana and you'll have to beat the girls off with a stick."

His hopes revived, Wally turned an opportunistic cheek towards Diana only to be shot down with a look and, "Perhaps next time you will be quiet when I show you one of my movies."

"Fine," he grumbled, "I'll be quiet."

Shayera turned to John. "Care to join us?"

"Uh, I think Batman needed some help in the monitor womb." And with that Green Lantern left the room with a velocity that made Wally proud.

* * *

When the movie was over, Diana turned it off with a happy sigh. 

Wally looked at his two female coworkers. "So, same time next week?"

"And _we'll_ provide the movie."

Winking secretively at Diana, Hawkgirl gave her suggestions for next week. "I'm thinking _Beaches_ or _Steel Magnolias_."

Knowing that if he groaned he would never hear the end of it, Flash left the room as quickly as possible.

"I've never seen those movies, Shayera. Are they any good?"

"They're awful. I just wanted to scare him."

Shayera stretched her feet out and put them on a nearby coffee table. Once she felt comfortable, she turned to Diana. "So, how have you been?"

Diana paused before giving her answer. "It still hurts, but I think I've gotten through the worst part."

Shayera squeezed her hand for a brief second before patting her on the shoulder. "Good. You want some ice cream?"

"Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?"

"Or Mint Chocolate Chip. Take your pick."

"Tough choice." After mulling it over for a minute, Diana finally decided that she would have both.

* * *

At 7:30 the next morning Diana walked into the monitor womb to begin her eight hour shift. Something on the central screen caught her attention, so she went over to investigate. Removing the flier from the screen, she read it over. 

Gotham Art Gallery

Presents the Special Exhibition

_The Future Through the Past:_

_It's All Greek to Me_

The second in a five part series

December 17 – January 10

This collection features paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts focusing on the subject of Greek mythology and includes the works of the finest artists throughout the ages, beginning with the Greco-Romans and ending with the Pre-Raphaelites.

Museum Hours:

Daily 10am-6pm  
Wednesday 10am-9pm

Today being the tenth, it was Diana's last day to see this exhibition. She resolved to go as soon as her shift was over.

* * *

Trying to stay as low-key as possible, Diana had opted for jeans and a black sweater. As she walked down the streets of downtown Gotham towards the museum, she was still getting too many stares for her liking, so she stopped at a street vendor, and looked over the hats they had for sale. Finding one that particularly caught her fancy, she made her purchase, then pulled her hair into a ponytail and laced it through the opening at the back of the baseball cap. 

Even with all her caution, she could not escape detection from one man. Bruce Wayne had recognized her as soon as she had entered the museum, though, to be fair, he had been expecting her. While the others checked up on Diana's emotional health in their own way, he favored his own tried and tested methods.

He was pleased to see that she had dressed the part. It wasn't that long ago that she had been walking around department stores and other public places in her uniform. Still, it didn't stop most of the museum's male population from watching her as she took in the main attractions.

Bruce made sure she couldn't see him as she leisurely moved from work to work, always pausing to read any informational plaque, if one was available, and listening to the information provided by her audio guide.

Her face had been schooled in a look of mild interest, until she came upon a painting of Artemis and the hunter Orion. The artist was unknown, but it was done in the bright colors and style of a Pre-Raphaelite. The goddess and demigod were in the foreground of the painting, and to their right, some distance off, was a herd of grazing deer. Their hands were touching because Orion was handing Artemis an arrow for her bow. Her eyes held a touch of thanks, and there were small smiles on the faces of both as they were closing in on their prey.

Knowing that Diana's head had been filled with romance from her books and movies, Bruce was not surprised to see the curiosity and smiles that spread over her beautiful face. But he wasn't given too much time to think about the painting or her reaction, as she walked on to the next painting.

The next works that elicited some kind of emotional response from her were two paintings placed side by side: The _Departure of the Amazons _and _Triumph of the Amazons_. They were from a Baroque artist named Claude Deruet. She knit her eyebrows down in what looked like contemplation, but Bruce knew it was a tactic to keep her eyes dry. He saw her shoulders rise and fall, as she let out a sigh before walking slowly on.

It wasn't until near closing time that Diana's attention was transfixed by another painting. Not paying much attention to the painting, he scrutinized her face, catching its thoughtfulness, melancholy, realization, and finally, resolution. Then she turned abruptly and walked towards the exit. Being a smaller painting, he had to move in closer to see what had caused her to leave so quickly. Watts's _Orpheus and Eurydice_. It was a much darker painting than the others, and as he considered the subject matter, the color scheme struck him as appropriate.

The musician Orpheus had lost his wife after only a year of marriage. Driven by his terrible grief, he traveled to the underworld, charming monsters with his music as he went. Finally, before the god of death, Hades, and his bride Persephone, Orpheus pleaded with them for Eurydice. Touched by his music and sorrow, Persephone took pity on him, and asked Hades to grant the man his request. Hades finally relented, but only under one condition: Orpheus must never look back. If at any time he turned around before he had escaped hell, Eurydice would be taken from him.

On the threshold of hell, not having heard a sound from his wife, Orpheus had fearfully looked back to see if she was still behind him. Watts had captured the aftermath of that moment. Orpheus was reaching for Eurydice, as she fell back into the land of the dead.

Bruce turned to leave, and saw Diana's back as she exited the building.

He reached for his cell phone and dialed the number of an old friend.

* * *

After leaving the museum, Diana made her way towards the cinema she had passed on the way there. She purchased a ticket for one of the romantic comedies, bought some popcorn and a soda, and enjoyed the featured presentation. 

After a pleasurable two hours, she walked out of the theater, and paused to enjoy the feel of the wind on her face. As she stood there, she noticed a very handsome man coming out of a restaurant directly opposite of the multiplex. He was accompanied by a pretty bespectacled red head in a wheelchair. Diana smiled as he kissed the woman on the cheek, and helped her into the back of her car. As he leaned on the top of her car, to speak with the lady further, he happened to look across the street. Diana blushed and quickly diverted her eyes when the man who had caught her staring smiled and winked at her.

* * *

Bruce looked down on Barbara, from his place on the curb. "Thanks for joining me on such short notice." 

"No problem, B. But answer me one question. Why?"

"Just checking up on a friend." He looked over at the theater again, but she had already left.

When he returned his attention to Barbara, he saw the mischievous sparkle behind her eyes. "And the gorgeous woman across the street? She had nothing to do with it, right?"

Rather than waste time explaining that she had completely misunderstood, he played along. Flashing his trademark grin, he uttered, "You know me."

As he started to close the car door, Barbara couldn't help herself. "I'll give Dick your regards if you say "hi" to Wonder Woman for me."

"Goodnight, Barbara." He closed the door, and then walked to the car that was waiting for him.

* * *

From her place atop the theater, Diana thought about her field trip to Gotham. She had actually been visiting a lot of the world's famous cities, determined to enjoy her stay in Man's World and get as many souvenirs as possible. Though Gotham wasn't her favorite place, she could see why Batman worked so hard to protect it. 

She glanced downwards and watched the friends, families, and couples that streamed out of the theater in their various states of happiness. Friends and family she already had (thanks to the Justice League), but as she watched the couples laughing and kissing and as she remembered the man and woman from across the street, she started to wonder what it would be like to have a special someone of her own to hold hands with.

Diana laughed at the thought. She never would have considered it had it not been for the events of the past few months. She needed no man, but her feelings of curiosity about the opposite sex had grown.

The Jane Austen books had begun the initial interest in the male species, and then there was the onslaught of movie adaptations and other romantic comedies that Flash had given her to pass the time between missions and meetings. It's where she had gotten the idea to kiss Batman after his actions in Gorilla City.

It came as no surprise to her that Batman was her first crush in Man's World. His intelligence, self-discipline, his sense of duty and sacrifice had initially drawn her to him. But her respect had not turned romantic until she had experienced his kindness in the wake of her exile.

She had seen glimpses of it, but until that night of shared sadness, she had never experienced it personally. Though he hadn't said anything as she cried, she felt he understood what she was going through, and he responded in a way that she could accept. She had found strength and peace in his arms. And that had allowed her to finally open up and accept help from the rest of her friends. 

And then the events of Gorilla City occurred, followed swiftly by his courageous actions that day he became sick from Aresia's poisons. They both knew that if Diana had been hit by that bus, she would have been fine, but that hadn't stopped him from risking his life to help her.

She had been thinking of Batman when she had stopped in front of that painting of Artemis and Orion. It stood in stark contrast to the one that had formerly hung in her room—Artemis pursuing a stag. The stag had actually been a man who had angered her, so she had turned him into an animal and hunted him like a beast. It had been Diana's favorite painting, but it had lost some of its luster after Aresia's planned genocide of the male species nearly occurred.

But in this new painting, Diana saw that man had been elevated from beast to woman's equal. Artemis and Orion were, literally, working hand in hand. And it didn't hurt that Diana saw a little interest shared between the two as they made physical contact. It had been her favorite painting of the entire exhibit.

There were others paintings that had affected her, though in a much different way. Seeing the Amazons preparing for war, and then returning victorious from combat, naturally brought her sisters and mother to mind. She missed them terribly. As she continued to walk past the other features of the exhibit, a cloud of sadness had hung about her, and try as she might, she could not shake it off. None of the other paintings could catch her attention, until she had seen the one that resonated with her grief and sorrow.

The comparisons between Orpheus' and her situation were easy enough to find. Both had lost a loved one and had been through hell because of it. Diana understood what it must have felt like for Orpheus to lose the thing he loved most. It wasn't something you could just walk away from.

But when Diana realized that he lost his chance at happiness because he was unable to look forward, she became convinced that a choice was being set before her. Diana could look behind her, staying caught up in the past, and lose the happiness available to her in Man's World. Or, she could walk forward, trusting that though she couldn't visibly see them, the Amazons would always be with her as she began to embrace and love her new life and family. She could have nothing or gain everything.

Having chosen the latter option, Diana had exited the museum to experience a little of what Man's World had to offer in the form of a romantic comedy. Besides, she had hoped to find something in the movie that would help Flash find favor with the opposite sex. He was certainly very funny and sweet, but he still had some edges that needed to be smoothed.

As she continued processing the events of her day, she sensed someone behind her. Turning around, Diana found the person who had been foremost in her thoughts.

"Nice hat."

She unconsciously touched the black Batman logo that stood out against the gray fabric of the hat, as she let him in on her secret. "I thought I could get on your good side, in case you caught me in your city. Did it work?"

Ignoring her question, he dispensed some advice. "Next time you go incognito, stick to the ground. Most people don't brood on the tops of buildings."

"I wasn't brooding."

Though she couldn't see it, she felt the arched eyebrow he was giving her under the cowl.

"I was just thinking about the paintings I saw at the exhibit."

"Find anything you liked?"

"Yes. I even bought a print of one of the paintings."

"Good."

As he turned to go, Diana reached for his arm. She held her hand in his as she spoke. "I know we haven't really talked about that night, but I want you to know how much you helped me. Thank you."

She moved closer to him, and placed a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. Her lips tingled where they made contact with his, and she was surprised by how soft they were. She smiled up at him as she continued, "I think I've found the resolution that I needed to get past this, but I never would have without your help from that night and from today. Thanks for the flier. It was really sweet of you."

She kissed him once more, then released his hand. "Goodnight, Batman. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded his head slightly in affirmation before she took off.

"Goodnight, Princess."

* * *

Once back in her room, Diana got ready for bed. She walked over to her closet to hang up her clothes, and saw the chest that had been gathering dust for the past four months. 

She placed it on top of her bed, before opening it and spreading its contents on the mattress.

The first thing she had removed was the rug woven for her by one of her friends, Pallas. It depicted a scene of women weaving together, and Pallas had been skilled enough to make two of the ladies look like her and Diana. She smiled as she laid it and another rug across the floor. It would make a nice place to read her books when she got sick of sitting in a chair or lying on her bed.

Next she had pulled out five shields of different sizes and weights. The first one had been given to her when she had begun training at the age of eight. The shields had grown bigger and bigger as she had aged, until she had reached her current size at the age of 18. Every time she had wanted to move up a size, she had to convince Antiope that she was ready, which had been a battle in itself. She hung them in increasing size over her bed, and added the spear and sword she had received on her coronation day underneath them.

She had next removed two medium sized vases that she and her mom had sculpted together out of clay. Before they had occupied two large, bare shelves, but once she had removed them to her closet, she had started placing her growing collection of literature on the shelves. The pottery, she decided, would make excellent bookends.

Lastly, she removed the painting of Artemis and the stag. She opened the frame to replace it with her new favorite, putting the old one in the poster tube, and finally, back into the chest.

She hung that and some other paintings on the wall, putting the one of Artemis and Orion in between two pictures of her with the Justice League, both gifts from Flash. How he had managed to capture Batman on film was a bit of a mystery, but she imagined his enhanced speed had something to do with it.

She sat back on her bed to admire her hard work. Satisfied with the way she combined the artifacts of her past and present, she put the chest back in the closet and made her way over to the altar to offer thanks to her gods--thanks that they had let her see her mother again, for giving her such wonderful friends that loved her, and, finally, for her new life.

Feeling tired, she lied down on her bed, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

Some things about the story. 

I try to stay away from movies that are designed to make you cry, so I've never really seen Beaches or Steel Magnolias. If those are one of your favorite movies, I apologize. They just happened to top the list of worst chick flicks.

I made up that painting of Orion and Artemis. The other three actually exist.

If Diana's reactions to/thoughts about kissing Batman seem a bit over the top or unrealistic, I ask you to remember your first kisses and how you felt then. ;-)

Most importantly...I don't want it to seem like the way out of emotional turmoil is to find a boyfriend or romantic interest. I was hoping to show that it is through love and kindness (friendship, romantic, charity) that pain is overcome. Maybe Diana will never figure out why certain things had to happen, but she accepts it and has learned new things because of her suffering that she couldn't have before. So in my story, Diana starts hanging out with her friends more, looks for ways to love Man's World, begins to appreciate men as comrades/equals, and starts to crush on Batman.

* * *


End file.
